Andrew Piran Bell was born on 11 August 1970 in Cardiff, Wales. Note: this is not the Andy Bell of Erasure, who was born in Peterborough, England and has no Welsh connection - this Andy Bell is the guitarist, vocalist and songwriter best known for co-founding the pioneering shoegaze band Ride in 1988 with Mark Gardener, whom he met at school in Oxford. Ride's early EPs and their acclaimed debut album "Nowhere" (1990) helped define the shoegaze sound, and the band became fixtures of the UK indie scene through albums including "Going Blank Again" (1992) and "Carnival of Light" (1994), before splitting in 1995 amid tension between its two guitarists.
Bell went on to front Hurricane #1 from 1997, before being invited to join Oasis on bass in November 1999, replacing founding member Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan. He remained a member for a decade, contributing songwriting credits including "Turn Up the Sun" and "The Nature of Reality" across the band's final three studio albums, until Oasis split in 2009. He then formed Beady Eye with the remaining members, switching back to guitar, before that band disbanded in 2014. Bell reunited with Ride from 2014 and has also released a string of solo albums and material under the alias GLOK.
In 2023 Bell joined the supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos alongside Shaun Ryder, Zak Starkey and Bez, and in 2024 he rejoined his Oasis bandmates for the widely covered Oasis Live '25 reunion tour, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band in 2026.
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Co-founder of shoegaze pioneers Ride, later bassist of Oasis and Beady Eye; not to be confused with Erasure's Andy Bell.
Andy Bell
Guitarist, Bassist and Vocalist
Born in Cardiff, though he built his music career in Oxford, England, from his teenage years onward.
Bell's middle name, Piran, references the patron saint of Cornwall, though he was born and spent his earliest years in Cardiff before the family later moved and he grew up largely in Oxford, where his musical career began. He has also spent time based in Sweden and now lives in London.
Career Highlights
Co-founded shoegaze band Ride, 1988, releasing debut album Nowhere, 1990
Joined Oasis as bassist, November 1999, replacing Paul 'Guigsy' McGuigan
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Oasis, 2026
ℹ️ Born Andrew Piran Bell on 11 August 1970 in Cardiff, Wales.
Born in Cardiff, though he built his music career in Oxford, England, from his teenage years onward.